FCC Consideration of Title II Broadband Regulation is a Blueprint for Uncertainty

Encouraging Kilobit Regulation is No Way to Encourage a Gigabit Internet Future

Title II Regulation Threatens to Slow Internet Upgrades to the Slow Speed of Government

WASHINGTON D.C. – The following quotes on the FCC vote on an Open Internet NPRM may be attributed to Scott Cleland, Chairman of NetCompetition:

“FCC consideration of Title II broadband regulation is a blueprint for unnecessary uncertainty.

Encouraging kilobit regulation is no way to encourage a Gigabit Internet future.

Rather than voting to quickly restore operative net neutrality rules, the FCC has chosen the path of maximal uncertainty for everyone. The FCC cannot put the Internet’s infrastructure at grave risk without endangering the entire ecosystem built on top of it with grave risk and uncertainty as well.

The primary problem of Title II regulation is it would abruptly decelerate the fast-speed of Internet business to the slow-speed of government. At core, Title II is a “Mother may I?” regulatory regime that is as slow as its slowest part. What could take hours or days to accomplish in business time could take several months or even years in FCC Title II time.

Practically Title II regulation would require every business decision of consequence to be approved by the FCC -- i.e. changes in services, prices, terms, conditions, or infrastructure. Ironically, the obvious unintended consequence here would be to put the American part of the Internet in the slowest lane filled with interminable speed bumps, potholes, stop lights, and inspection stations.

Silicon Valley’s opposition to “commercially reasonable” market negotiations for high-volume video streaming, because they want the FCC to create a permanent zero-price entitlement for downstream Internet traffic, is the height of aristechratic hubris and entitlement, because the richest, least regulated, and least taxed sector is seeking massive and hidden government pricing subsidies at the expense of American consumers.”